Suggestions for Becoming a Professional Tarot Reader

I was reminded in the previous post of people who ask what they need to do to become a professional tarot reader. After you feel comfortable reading for self, friends, and friends-of-friends, here’s my number one suggestion for when you want to make the transition.

Your Rite of Passage

The ideal “rite of passage” is to volunteer for a full day (or better yet, a weekend) at a charity or benefit event and donate everything to the cause. If you keep the price reasonable ($5-20 or sliding scale depending on the length of reading and the venue) then your schedule should be filled. The point is to read non-stop (except for necessary breaks), even to the point of exhaustion (drink plenty of water!). There’s a point beyond which a part of you doesn’t care what you say anymore, and you totally let go. You’ll be surprised at what happens then and how accurate you become when you finally bypass your critic. I can’t even begin to list the number of things you will learn from such an experience, but here are a few:

Letting go of the critic and trusting the process.

Explaining what you do and/or don’t do in one short, concrete statement.

Guiding people efficiently through the question, shuffling, etc.

Learning to listen as well as speak.

Realizing you can’t “fix” someone & letting go of the need to do so.

Releasing the need to be “right.”

Getting your timing down (how many cards for the time allotted).

Learning how to end a reading (especially with a clingy or argumentative client).

Discovering the things you’ll need in a “reading kit.”

Arranging breaks, keeping hydrated, eating, etc.

A few basic accoutrements for reading at fairs and events:

One or more tarot decks, appropriate to the clientele and occasion.

A spread cloth. (Busy designs can interfere with the card images.)

Business cards & promotional handouts.

Tissues!!!

Water! Plus an emergency snack—in case you can’t get away for a meal.

Clothing to put you and others in the mood, and in layers so you can adjust to temperature changes.

Knowledge of local laws! If necessary have the organization collect the donation and give the person a token for a free reading.

Extras:

Watch, clock or timer.

If outdoors, healing stones to keep the cards from blowing away (plus nice to have for the energy).

Flowers, statue, other decorations. Don’t overdo it.

Reading sign-up sheet on clipboard & pen.

Mailing list (if appropriate).

Cushion for folding chairs. This extra bit of comfort helps.

And, if you continue to do fairs:

A professional looking sign. This probably will not be necessary for your first charity event.

Code of Ethics written by you and to which you adhere. (Google for examples.)

After doing this myself and making this suggestion to others for more than 30 years, as well as doing mini-events like this with my students, I’ve gotten tons of feedback from people who said it was the best thing they ever did to catapult them into the beginnings of professional confidence and expertise. Please, anyone who wants to add to these lists (and I know there’s more to say), do so in the comments.

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Mary K. Greer has made tarot her life work. Check here for reports of goings-on in the world of tarot and cartomancy, articles on the history and practice of tarot, and materials on other cartomancy decks. Sorry, I no longer write reviews. Contact me HERE.

54 comments

This is an excellent idea! I’ve done smaller fairs and 3-6 hour events for local colleges and universities before, but never an all day thing. Even the 1/2 day affairs are pretty draining. What I’ve always found interesting is when you’re reading for a trapped audience (e.g., members of the same school) and the same or similar cards continually re-assert themselves throughout the day.

My personal “rite of passage” was similar- I had been studying Tarot seriously for many years, reading for family and friends, and yet I couldn’t quite decide to take the step of going professional. Then I had an idea: I decided to offer readings to the members of a book club I belonged to. The readings would be free- the only thing I’d ask for would be honest feedback. Some of the clients were friends, but most of them were people I didn’t know at all or only by sight., so they didn’t need to be nice. The experience was very positive- I did nearly 100 readings, got a lot of honest, polite criticism and also much positive feedback. I learned from my mistakes, took a lot of notes and decided that I could really start charging money for my work. Three years later, things are going very well for me as a tarot reader and some of the participants in my “experiment” are today paying clients. :))

This is such fantastic advice, Mary! And it is so timely; I just taught my class “Reading for Others” last weekend. I am going to email all my participants and urge them to read this.

I sure wish I’d had this kind of outstanding guidance 37 years ago when I was getting started. Thanks to your efforts, readers today are starting off on such a high level of wisdom and experience. I can only imagine how amazing they will be in a few more decades!

You have made a world of difference for readers everywhere. I know you probably know this, but maybe you don’t really get thanked enough. So thank you!
– Beth

I’m glad you all get it. Since certificates and certifications are not consistent nor overseen, they don’t mean a lot in the Tarot world. We have to give ourselves our own graduation tests and ceremonies.

While offering readings for free to a sizeable group is a good way to do a rite of passage, I also have found the old adage true that we don’t always value getting something for nothing. I believe it is more valuable for the clients to exchange something for the experience, even if it is nominal. Plus, everyone feels satisfied when the money (or whatever) goes to a good cause. However, this is not an absolute — just something to consider. Always do what seems best in your particular circumstance.

This is good advice – it will either make you or break you as a reader! Years ago, I used to read at the bar I worked at and it was the BEST learning experience of my life. I learned how to deal with some real jerks, challenging situations, timing, etc. I’ve been working professionally now for over 17 years and some of those old “bar clients” are still clients. 🙂

Awesome suggestions Mary! While being a reader for many years, I only started doing public parties 2 years ago, and there is always something new to learn from each experience. And the ‘reading kit’ as you mentioned is what probably helped me the most… just TOTAL preparation of ‘stuff’, and to be ready for anything! I do love the idea of having your ethics written and available, and the stones on cards in the wind!!! Thank you so much for the tips and information!

A great rite of passage indeed! And years later, I stopped doing these events because they’re draining and don’t have the sense of temenos that I prefer. However, do jump in for a while and see what happens. Some of my friends and colleagues still love doing readings at public events and psychic fairs and make a fair living at these activities. My own preference is to do deep stuff one-on-one.

James – As you note, each professional tarot reader will find their own niche for reading tarot. I don’t advocate reading regularly for fairs unless it works for you, but it can provide a lot of quick lessons and breakthroughs about what to do and what not to do. The point is to read a lot of strangers in quick succession so that you don’t get stuck obsessing about any single experience but have to move on to the next.

Of course, people who are going to read only or primarily via the internet might find a different kind of experience serves best as a rite of passage. For instance, the American Tarot Association has (or had?) a site for free readings, where trainees read while being overseen by a mentor.

Excellent post, Mary. I read primarily at parties which has to be one of the more challenging environments around. You learn to set boundaries (now that we talked about my job can I ask you about my relationship), deal with the wise guys who want you to ‘prove’ you are ‘for real,’ etc. But even at a formal corporate party, people come with real issues and you can touch them and help them in a profound way. Imo, if you can read at parties, you can read almost anywhere.

I love this idea and has gotten my mind reeling with ideas. I am currently looking for new ways to get my name out there in this new city, San Marcos, Tx.,, I have moved to for creating a whole new client base.

I have been reading publicly for years but the way I started out, getting my toes wet, was I went to a Borders Books and Music twice a month, set up my table with incense, candles, pretty tablecloths, stones, etc., and a big vase/jar decorated with glass beads. I did readings for free but always mentioned that I take donations and pointed to my jar. I passed out my card and a little brochure that listed a few tarot facts to set people at eaze. I did this for 2 years until I was asked to leave because the christians organized and picketed me out of there. Weird since I had no problem reading for clients with their christian bands playing live music in the background…but don’t let me get started on that. 😉

La Vonne said she is looking for new ways to get her name out.
Might I suggest going to the libraries and placing your card in the Tarot and new ages books. It just looks as if you were using it for a book marker but seems to generate a lot of interest

I recently learned all this the hard way, when I decided to hang up my shingle as an income while I finished grad school. It’s been such a blessing! I think we really do know when we’re in alignment: the search engines place you first; the referrals keep coming. I have decided not to do too many more festivals and fairs. They are emotionally hard as well as physical. I left a wedding reception recently, having taken on so many feelings that I became physically ill. But it’s more good than bad, and I find that many of these people have personal lessons for me, as well. We are brought to each other to grow.

wordgirl1000 – A large number of tarot readers are empaths so its not unusual to pick up a lot of emotional stuff, especially when reading for many people in a short time. It’s one reason why I also encourage continuing education in tarot and in psychic development classes from teachers who’ve learned ways of handling the energy. Such training has become pretty sophisticated over the years.

It’s also important to learn the kind of context and style in which you (that is, any reader) do best.

I’m not saying that all readers have to read at fairs or large events, but I do believe that the experience can provide a lot of learning very quickly and “bump” you up to the next level of practitioner. But, it takes a special kind of reader and good skills to stick with it as a regular venue and not get burned out.

Sunscreen. The last time I did an all-day event I wasn’t in the sun until it suddenly showed up to my west for the last reading (the beginning of sunset). It was an intense reading and I was stuck–with a sunburn that was still visible 2 months later. Ow.

And this is 20 years into professional reading. Plus I didn’t have enough stones.

Deborah – Be prepared! It’s stories like these that help us not have to make the same mistakes – sometimes. Thanks.

Of course, when readers are going to regularly be doing fairs or events they need additional supplies. You can get as fancy as you want (and can handle) with your set-up—tent, curtains and cloths, fancy signs, lights.

Joseph Martin (creator of the Quest Tarot deck) has an elaborate set-up that he can put together very quickly – with giant signs, flashing lights, lots of glitter and new age gimmicks, decks for sale, and even a video presentation. And, his readings are rock solid.

How do you know if tarot reading is legal in an area? I live in the NW ‘burbs of Chicago and I have heard that in Schaumburg (a suburb), you need a license to read for money. And the license is expensive (apparently, to discourage readers).

TJ – You will need to check with both your city and county to get the specific laws—go to the Court House—many will have a law library with a librarian who can help you find what you need. You can also check with the owners of any New Age/Metaphysical bookshops in your area. They usually have some idea of the laws.

The ACLU has assisted many people with getting discriminatory licensing laws off the books in their areas. Discriminatory licensing has not been upheld in any court that I know of – but it can be expensive to pursue such a tact.

You’ll sometimes find psychic readers just outside of the city line because a city or town may have such a law but the county won’t – but don’t depend on that.

Also, look into laws regarding registering as a business. Sometimes all you need in a DBA (“Doing Business As”) announcement in your local newspaper.

And, pay your taxes if you want to claim yourself as a professional reader!

Thank you so much for this! I have been reading for friends and family – a few months ago I volunteered to read for a benefit. I set up my table at 5pm and read until almost 2am! I experienced everything you wrote about. I had my cauldron to collect the cash and never even counted it out before donating the whole lot to the charity. What I found there is confidence. Someone very special to me once told me, “the cards never lie. People just choose to exist in their own lies.” This has helped guide me through readings, especially when the client is not affirming.

Mary, thank you for posting this! I have been studying the Tarot for about a year now and I’m still feeling stuck due to lack of practice. There’s only one group in my area that meets once a month and it’s about the only place I can get any serious reading done. And it’s mini-readings only. My extended family and friends are not exactly open to being read for (religious reasons), so I’ve been thinking of volunteering for a charity event for a while now. I gave my local animal shelter my contact info and asked them to give me a call if they were planning anything as I’d love to volunteer. Haven’t heard back from them yet. Again, this is a rather small conservative town I live in. I had even posted a flyer with my email address on tear-away tabs, advertising free readings just for the practice. I came back two days later and some misguided and self-righteous person had torn off all the tabs so that no one could contact me. 😦 That was disheartening. But anyway, I’ll try looking around for other charities. I wonder if any charities would allow me to set up one of their donation jars if I found a cooperative store or cafe owner to set up in?? Couldn’t hurt their business…

Erin –
I understand that being a tarot reader in a conservative area can be extremely difficult. Don’t despair. I’m sure that, if you keep looking, an appropriate situation will open up for you—although you may have to try several. You don’t need a donation jar from a charity. After all, you can always donate anonymously, if that seems the better route. You could also ask querents to make a donation to the charity of their choice.

I get requests from several local charity groups each year to donate a reading for their auctions as they find these are very popular. Last time I spent extra time with the person and they wanted to tip me. I asked them to donate the extra to the cause (which was one close to both our hearts).

As you get more experienced, I’ve found that local radio stations like to have me come on and do a few readings on the air. Normally I don’t do the kinds of readings that work “on air” as I like people to interact with the images, but I live in a small town and sometimes even recognize the caller’s voice, so I consider it a bit of a free service to my community.

Thank you for posting this. I’ve been reading for about 9 years for myself and friends, but am thinking about going professional. There are a lot of non-profits in my area that would be great causes to donate to (adult literacy, animal rescue, help for Haiti, etc). Hopefully one of them will let me read at one of their fundraisers!

Ave Mary, thanks for posting this. I found that my own jaunt out into the arena of public readings was a deep eye opener. I have found that myself personally I work better for charity based events.

I do like to offer a cautionary piece of advice. While I learned a lot from my first event the next stage we had as a group was establishing a regular event in the area to keep money coming in for the recipient of the money. Once the event shifted from purely charity based I found that the healers and readers also had a shift in focus toward money and accruing notoriety. One of the weekends I found myself “mirroring” the groups’ focus. Afterwards I started to realize that my name had been attributed to every public face of the event and I couldn’t account for the money, I know not all of it when towards it’s intended recipient all in one go. Attempts to ‘clean house’ and salvage an otherwise inspiring venture did not go down well as many of the members had started out doing readings in later life and had rejected orthodox business set ups. Many did not declare themselves self-employed which legally one must do if earning money through holistic work in Ireland.

Moral of the story whether its a charity or not make sure you are, first, aware of its legal standing and that there is a way to verify details.

Niall –
That’s a very good reminder about the importance of knowing your legal status wherever you do readings. I’m sorry to hear your event had to end because of people who took advantage of the charitable contributions of others.

My suggestion for those who are just starting out. Keep it simple and check out the local laws.

Well, experience or no, I finally took the plunge and volunteered to do readings all day for a local charity event. I’m guessing I only did around 20 readings or so (some readers do MANY more than that at an event, am I right?) and I was completely whipped by the end of the day. And my butt is bruised from sitting on a steel folding chair for 7 hours. But I had lots of fun and got plenty of reading experience. Unfortunately, actually getting out there and DOING some readings for the public is really the only way I’m going to get the experience I need. My table brought in about $150 for the wildlife centre, so I consider it a day well-spent! Thanks for your suggestions, Mary.

Congratulations on taking the plunge and for making so much money for a worthy cause. I’m glad you had fun and hope you will want to do it again. Taking a cushion for your chair was one of the optional items in the list. Maybe I should have marked it as ‘highly recommended.’ Thanks for the feedback.

Linda – I’m afraid the only real way to get the experience is to do it. Some people might prefer starting with only three or four hours of reading, but I find that if you factor in a couple of breaks, eat and drink plenty of water. that most people can read for longer periods than they thought. At my first professional psychic fair I read 60 people in two days and was energized at the end. However, as a strong introvert, I spent the following day in retreat – mostly sleeping and reading.

That was actually a thought I had, too, Mary. I’m a hardcore introvert so being so focused for such a long period of time – even at an “idle” – is draining. I think the next time I’ll take the FULL 15 minutes for breaks and make better use of the time by disappearing to someplace quiet, grassy and peaceful, taking off my shoes and getting good and GROUNDED. Wow Mary, I can’t imagine 60 or more readings in such a short time.

hi I loved the information you provided. I have been thinking of doing tarot readings professionally for a while now, but I wasnt quite sure how to go about marketing my skills. I do have a website <a href="http://12zodiacsignspersonalitytraits.com where I was thinking of promoting my skills as a tarot reader. I feel this article you have written here has given me the push that I needed to go ahead with this. Wish me luck!

Wow, thank you so much! Your work is always so enlightened and yet so down to earth. I’m literally JUST starting out after 13 years of studying the Tarot and reading for friends of friends at the most. I have read for a few strangers more recently, but I get really really bad ‘table fright’, as opposed to stage fright, even though the feedback I get back is in general really encouraging 🙂 I know I just have to jump in there with both feet, Thanks to your article, I’m planning to do a charity read at a local car boot sale. Fingers crossed!!! xx

M – I overlooked your question. So sorry. Yes – quite a few people earn their living through Tarot reading. It is ideal for an entrepreneur who 1) is willing to promote themselves and who lives in an area where there are outlets through fairs and shops – and/or 2) someone who is consistent with on-line readings and self-promotion via the internet.

Reblogged this on Empathic Tarot and commented:
For all my friends and fellow Tarot Readers who are looking to provide these services as their vocation, I highly recommend this blog. Concise and to the point with even a few tips and tricks nestled in, being ad-free also is a bonus. Check it out!

Most people carry a smart phone, so if they want a recording you can suggest they use their own phone, plus they can take a picture of the spread. I no longer record at fairs because sending long audio files from my iPad can be a drag. If there’s no wifi then I can’t send anything until later anyway. Do whatever works for you.

This is just the advice I’m looking for! Have been contemplating reading for the public and have felt really conflicted as to whether I’m “good enough.”
So, “Letting go of the critic and trusting the process” and “Releasing the need to be “right.” will be good starting points for me. Thanks, oh and reading the book “21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card” will help too I’m sure.
Thanks so much!

I absolutely LOVE parties, bars, fairs, etc. I find the energy amazing and as long as I’m grounded, I don’t get overwhelmed emotionally. I recently read at an pub in an area devastated by Hurricane Sandy. The “Tower” kept popping up, even after I switched decks; not surprising, huh? I would recommend anyone interested in starting out to get in touch with their local Pampered Chef, Tastefully Simple or other party person and offer to partner up.

I just started reading professionally last May – felt like I was ‘coming out’ and to this day there are people who have known me for years who don’t know what I do now because I’m afraid they’ll scoff!

(Pssst…Having a pseudonym is great and can also help protect your privacy!)

I also bring a sage bundle and sweetgrass and burn them between each reading to give the cards and myself a freshen up – smudging is my ‘spiritual re-set button’, and the sweetgrass also helps with calling in Spirit.

I wear a large heart shaped Sodalite necklace which protects me from any negative energies and to help with mental clarity – known as the Psychic’s Stone it really does work and in fact mine is almost worn out with chips and cracks from energy – also have alot of crystals with me in fact, in a little glass jar beside me – plus a Himilayan rock salt candle burning to keep the good ions in the air from Mother Nature.

So grateful to report the response has been wonderful with people, and yes you just have to jump in and do loads of readings wherever you can! People everywhere have been so happy and grateful reporting high levels of accuracy and feeling ‘lighter’ and much more clear about things after the readings!

Still learning every day something new and amazing from the Tarot so am very happy to have found this incredible site and just wowed by your knowledge and expertise Mary and how much I have learned here already!

I have been reading tarot for 40 years but still am and will always be a Disciple.

Madame Butterfly –
Thank you for your personal story and examples of what you use to help create the atmosphere that facilitates your work as a reader. The more options and ideas the better.

I sometimes use cedar for smudging and I agree it helps ‘reset’ both me and the cards for the next reading. However, in California, with all our droughts and fire-danger, I’ve learned to work without it as open flames are rarely allowed at events. We all make-do with what we have.